Clean Label Project Protein Powder
Your Plant-Based Protein Powder Is Likely Full of Lead and Arsenic: Check This List
"Approximately 75 percent of protein powders had measurable levels of lead." Stunned? Us too. If you're a protein-powder junkie, it might be time to reassess — especially if you use a plant-based blend.
Clean Label Project, the U.S. nonprofit focused on health and transparency in product labelling, just completed a study of 134 of the top-selling protein powders in North America. Using a "third-party, independent analytical chemistry laboratory," they found that nearly half of the powders had "significant amounts" of "lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and BPA." Holy sh*t is right.
One of the most eye-opening findings was that plant-based protein powders are actually more toxic than whey- or milk-protein powders, with plant-based containing "on average twice the amount of lead per serving," in addition to more "mercury, cadmium and arsenic . . . in several cases above health-based guidelines."
And if you thought you were safe with a "certified organic" powder, think again: "Certified organic products averaged twice as much heavy metals."
The safest bet? Anything egg-based. Apparently those were the cleanest/safest of the tested bunch. We'll let you look through the list Clean Label Project shared with POPSUGAR, but here's the gist of the best and worst:
Best, Safest Powders (least contaminants, highest nutrition)
- Puori
- BioChem
- Body Fortress
- Performix
- Pure Protein
Worst Powders (most contaminants, least nutrition)
- Vega
- 360Cut
- Quest
- Nature's Best
- Garden of Life
A Brief Breakdown:
Fast Facts
Aloha
Ancient Nutrition
BioChem
Body Fortress
BSN
Garden of Life
Jarrow Formulas
Jay Robb
MusclePharm
Natural Factors
Nature's Best
Natures Plus
Now Sports
Optimum Nutrition
PlantFusion
Quest Nutrition
Reserveage Nutrition
Sunwarrior
Tera's Whey
Vega
Puori
Performix
